Up in Flames
by FragmentedLights
Summary: When Sasuke Uchiha's family dies in a fire, little does he know, the rest of his life is about to go up in flames... especially when he returns to Konoha to be recruited to a secretive law system, one he's never heard of before. And his life is well and truly screwed when he reunites with the girl from his past. [SasuNaru] [FemNaruto]
1. Amidst the Ashes

**Chapter I: Amidst the Ashes**

'And it's hard at times to ask  
if you can leave my heart for last  
and it's hard to face the facts  
when the darkness fades to black.'

**HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD – **City

**A/N: A second fanfiction from me ^-^ Yes, I know, I seem to have an obsession with FemNaruto... but who wouldn't? D: Anyway, hope you enjoy this one and note that this one will be very different from 'Changes'. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any media used in this work belong to their rightful owners. Enjoy!**

Sasuke Uchiha ran a hand through his spiked up hair as he stared into the sunset. The sun had swollen up from its white orb to become a huge red mouth that threatened to engulf the world, sinking slowly into the horizon. Smokey clouds fluttered across the sky like lazy moths. He inhaled deeply, the air clean and fresh for his stuffed lungs. After spending eight hours in a school – a whole hour more than he had to! – he was relieved to be able to inhale such fresh air.

He hugged his unique blue jacket closer to him – the one with his family's well-known symbol on the back – and started to regret wearing white shorts as a chill settled around him. He pulled his black rucksack further up both of his shoulders and continued to walk the familiar path to the Uchiha complex, an area in Konoha devoted to the huge family of Uchihas and their businesses. The Uchihas ran many malls – in many different cities and even countries – so their name was very popular.

Sasuke smiled as he walked down the path from his school. The city of Konoha was large and a popular tourist attraction. This was the hometown of Hyuuga Banks and Uchiha Malls, after all. Despite its large size and high population, the crime was incredibly low. Everyone who lived here was kind and abided the law. Ruled by a leader known as the Hokage, crime was punished swiftly and calmly. Nobody really knew where criminals went, but it surely wasn't back into civilisation.

Konoha didn't believe in second chances, from what Sasuke had heard.

Because of this reason, Sasuke didn't fear that he – a vulnerable, alone seven year old – would get attacked by someone older, crueller and more powerful.

And his normally naïve assumption was proved correct as he got to the black iron gates which were behind the Uchiha Mall and led into the Uchiha complex. But his eyes didn't meet a bunch of beautiful, rich homes and the scent of roses.

His eyes met the powerful trail of smoke that was funnelling into the sky, using the matching clouds as a disguise. Desperate and scared, his hands fumbled around with the gate while his young – yet genius – mind struggled to find rational reasons.

_Perhaps they're having a barbecue. Or a bonfire._

Sasuke knew that these were perfectly normal for any other family but his family had different ideas of fun family time. As this was the last Friday of the month, it was of course 'Uchiha bonding time'.

This was a time when the entire family would gather in one of the huge manors to socialise over wine, a three course meal and some classical music. The children of the families would be in the nursery and the older kids would be downstairs. Sasuke didn't want to be late.

He pushed open the gate and ran through the complex, passing many empty houses, being glared at by empty windows and the stars seemed to be darkening. As he got closer to his own home, the scent of smoke got heavier, filling his lungs until he started coughing. Then the first flames were seen. They engulfed his huge manor, screaming pouring out like the endless flames that licked at the night sky. A scream scraped through his throat as he hysterically looked around for one of the phoneboxes that lurked everywhere.

Dialing the number for the emergencies, he babbled his problem on the verge of tears. A woman with a powerful voice answered him.

"Where?" She demanded.

"U-Uchiha complex…" he choked out, tears pooling on his face.

"We're on our way. Don't go anywhere near the fire. Stay right where you are." She commanded and hung up.

After an eternity of torturous waiting, an ambulance turned up. A youngish woman with a big bust and blonde hair pulled back jumped out and walked towards him. "My name is Doctor Tsunade. I was the woman on the phone." He watched as endless firetrucks turned up, the brave men and women pooling out to battle the flames. They were engulfed by the house quickly.

"I-Is my family gonna be okay?" Sasuke asked, tears threatening to pool out his eyes again. The heat was becoming unbearable as the fire spread. Water hissed around him and the woman, who had a strange diamond marking on her forehead, thinned her lips.

"I'm not sure."

Her honesty shocked him. Where most people would gently whisper 'maybe' or 'of course'. She stared at him, as if she knew he was too intelligent to be lied to. He nodded quietly.

"I understand." His voice barely touched a whisper and her gaze seemed to soften. Her hands wrapped around her neck and unclipped something and she held out a chain on her palm. A dark green crystal was visible on the end.

"Here. This is my crystal, and it's guided me through a lot of hard situations," her green eyes shimmered with emotion yet her voice stayed strong and focused. "I want you to take it. I also want you to know how to use it correctly," something in her eyes didn't mean 'keep it'. "Do you understand?"

"I understand." He repeated, nodding, clasping the crystal in his pale hand. He wrapped the chain around his neck and clipped it, hiding the dark green gem under his shirt. The woman stalked off to go deal with the situation as Sasuke was wrapped with a fuzzy blanket and given a warm drink. The scent of chocolate made him wrinkle his nose. He wasn't the biggest fan of sweets but the taste was strangely hypnotising. Before he knew it, he had drunk it all to the very last drop, leaving him with a scalded throat.

The noises around him were loud and yelling was dominant amongst the other noises. The voice that was the strongest was Doctor Tsunade's. His lids began to become heavy so he stumbled up to his legs and shuffled about dreamily, looking for a bed.

But any slither of a hope of sleep became moot as the scent of charred flesh dominated his mind and his eyes met the familiar shapes of what could only be his parents. The pale skin of his gentle, kind mother was burnt black, peeling off to expose the bloody insides. Their eyes were wide and staring, their mouths open to reveal charred throats and toasted tongues. Their eyes were goopy messes of black and white in their skulls.

Overcome by a simultaneos need to vomit, to sob endlessly and to pass out, Sasuke ran. He ran from the flame which threatened to scorch all sanity. He ran from the grief which threatened to drown him. Trapped between two awful fates, he fell to his knees and shook. His bones rapidly vibrated and his muscles convulsed and soon, vomit pooled around his pale hands.

A presence seemed to make the air heavier around him. Eyes burning and tears stroking his face, he trembled as he looked up. A boy with spiked blonde hair that fell to his round chin stood there, bright blue eyes worried. "Are you okay?" The voice was slightly husky, but feminine. It turns out that the boy was actually female, then.

"Do I look ok-" his uncharacteristically sarcastic comment was cut short as the girl grabbed him up from his perch and hugged him.

The scent of vomit was overwhelming and the girl's shirt must have absorbed the disgusting bile but she continued to embrace him. "I don't know what happened but I'm sorry." She whispered. Her voice was more than husky, it was loud even when she whispered.

It was also the prettiest he'd ever heard.

He nodded mutely as she pulled away and seemed to vanish into the mist which surrounded him like a constant gloom.

Somehow, somehow that girl made him feel better. She put things in perspective.

And he didn't even know her name…

He clutched his crystal and decided that that would belong to her when the time came. He would make sure of it.


	2. An Incinerating Discovery

**Chapter II: An Incinerating Discovery**

'Caught in the darkness, I go blind  
but can you help me find my way out?  
Nobody hears me, I suffer the silence  
Can you tell me it's over now?'

**RED **– Shadows

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. -Pulls ski mask over face- But I'll keep you updated.**

**A/N: Thank you to all my lovely readers of both 'Changes' and this fic. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha sat at his window, staring out at the glass window. His 9th birthday was soon, but he didn't feel excitement like normal boys his age. In fact, he was positively indifferent. His black eyes stared endlessly, piercing through everything in his gaze's way.

Ever since the 'accident' – no matter how many investigations came up with the result as an accident, Sasuke believed it was arson, he just knew it in his bones – he had retreated within himself. He focused more on school, easily rising to the top, and cared less about the people around him. Except his brother, who Sasuke looked up to.

Even for an Uchiha, the older boy – who was around fourteen at this point – was incredibly calm about this situation, whereas Sasuke couldn't help but sob himself to sleep at night, still haunted by the terrifying nightmares of his parents' sizzling corpses.

In fact, if it wasn't for the fact Itachi had shed tears on camera – the most well-known and well off family in Konoha killed in a dreadful fire? It was all over the news! – Sasuke would say Itachi wasn't affected by it at all. Sometimes the older boy seemed… happy, almost.

Sasuke shook his head, black bangs ruffling with his movements. That was no way to be thinking about the only remaining family member he had. If he didn't have Itachi, he didn't have anyone.

"Hello, little brother," Itachi's cool voice woke the younger Uchiha from his brooding at the window.

"Hi, Itachi." Normally Sasuke greeted Itachi with his past peppiness, but lately Sasuke's tone had become more emotionless, his expression stoic.

"What's wrong, little brother?" Itachi's voice had already broken, becoming deeper than what Sasuke remembered, but that wasn't the only thing that Sasuke was beginning to notice about Itachi.

He noticed how the black eyes were hollow, even when he smiled. His young but extremely intelligent, logical mind put it to the grief that must still haunt Itachi. He also knew that Itachi had night terrors, hence the large lines that flawed his attractive face. Itachi had had many girlfriends, but Sasuke didn't remember any of their names. Neither did Itachi.

"Nothing." Sasuke lied and though Itachi could see right through it, he didn't seem to notice. Except from the minute flutter of his left eye, the almost invisible narrowing of both.

"You excited for your birthday, little brother?"

"I guess," Sasuke replied half-heartedly. In truth, it was just another day. Time didn't really exist to Sasuke. He followed schedules, even when it was at inappropriate times, and any disruption sent him into an almost blind panic. His birthday was on a Saturday, so he would wake up, eat, shower, do his morning necessities, do homework, eat again, study or read, eat again, read, eat supper and then sleep.

"We'll do something special, little brother. Something we haven't done before." Itachi promised, his voice giving nothing away.

"Sure."

* * *

Sasuke woke up screaming, still haunted by nightmares of the ghastly scene two years ago. His throat screeched in protest and when he attempted to swallow, his throat was like sandpaper. His onyx irises were darkened and haunted as he lay there, his chest rising and falling as if he could not breathe.

"Did you have a nightmare, little brother?"

Itachi's deep tone startled Sasuke into a sitting position, his obsidian eyes as wide as dinner plates. He nodded silently as he stared at the older boy, who was stood in the middle of the door frame, just staring.

"Happy birthday, by the way. I've got something extra… special planned today, little brother."

It was starting to annoy Sasuke how Itachi always made Sasuke's position clear. The little brother. The weaker, the younger, the less important one. So it was this annoyance that caused Sasuke to be ignorant to the dark glint in black eyes, the sadistic smirk that barely ghosted his brother's lips. He stormed past him after pulling on some new clothes and sat at the dinner table.

A platter of breakfast foods awaited him on the table, a rainbow of different fruits placed in a mosaic bowl, a plate piled high with pancakes, drowning in syrup, a collection of brown toasted waffles topped with sliced strawberries, even an assortment of drinks. The scent of black coffee overwhelmed his nose, though he didn't dare hope it was for him – his brother had something of an obsession with it.

"This all for me?" Sasuke questioned, widening his eyes.

"Of course, little brother," Itachi chuckled. "Do you think I could eat all of this?"

Sasuke shrugged. His brother disappeared for a while before returning with a tray filled with greasy sausages, scrambled eggs, scones, everything. Sasuke licked his lip, his stomach growling desperately.

He piled a few waffles onto his plate, wanting to get the sweet stuff over first. The waffles crunched and were sweet. The strawberries were sweet and sour at the same time, causing a flavour tango in his mouth. He plowed through pancakes, waffles and fruit.

Once he bit into the sausages, grease trailed down his chin and he rubbed at it furiously. Itachi ate quietly in front of him, his eyes glued to Sasuke. He seemed to be engrossed by Sasuke, for some reason.

Probably just because it was his birthday, though he couldn't remember his older brother acting this way last time.

Once he was done, his stomach feeling as if it was about to burst, his brother grinned, something uncharacteristic for someone as calm and stoic as Itachi. The hairs on the back of the younger Uchiha's neck stood to attention, though he wasn't quite sure why.

"I'm going to get your cake now," Itachi informed him as he disappeared into the pantry.

Sasuke patted his stomach. "I'm not sure if I can handle another bite, big brother!" The dark chuckle of Itachi was muffled by the pantry door.

The nine year old looked out the window, where the wind kissed the leaves, and the leaves ruffled as if embarrassed. Sasuke smiled, but still a frown creased his brow, turning his wistful grin into a grimace.

"Happy birthday, little brother," Itachi crooned and Sasuke's blood turned as cold as the blade now pressed against the back of his neck.

* * *

**-Bows-**


End file.
